Stock refiner



Sept. 3, 1963 L. HORNBOSTEL ETAL 3,102,695

STOCK REFINER Filed Nov. 16, 1959 I l A p I 6 44. r

7 i 6 1 C L I 53 [770 4/ i K 47 r [271/217 4.; $24, 42, 4 fig United States Patent 3,162,695 STOCK REFHNER Lloyd Hornbostel, Beloit, and Casper E. Youngchild, Appleton, Wis, assignors to Beloit iron Works, Beloit, Wis, a corporation oi Wisconsin Fiied Nov. 15, 1959, Ser. No 853,220 2 Claims. (@l. 2.4-1-2ss The present invention relates broadly to the art of stock preparation, and is more particularly concerned with a new and improved stock refiner especially suited for paper making featuring in part minimum power re quirements, reduced Wear on the moving parts thereof and a simplified accurate control of the degree of refining.

One form of beater and/or refiner known to the art is the Hollander which consists of an oval tank with a partition or midfeather parallel to the long axis and terminating short of the opposite ends thereof. On one side of the midfeather is a cylindrical roll whose axis is perpendicular to the midfeather and which extends therefrom to the side of the tank. The surface of the roll is fitted with steel bars or knives parallel to the axis, and rotation of the roll causes the stock to circulate round and round the tank. A bed plate is provided under the roll, and said plate has knives similar to those on the roll and running across the tank generally the full width of said roll. A mechanism is utilized for raising and lowering the roll, and by setting said roll at the proper level, a rubbing or brushing action is given to the fibers, while by lowering the roll into contact with the bed plate, acutting action is efiected.

Another form of refining apparatus well known to the art is the Jordan engine, which consists of a cast iron, tapered shell fitted inside with bars running almost its full length, generally in the manner of the knives in the roll and bed plate for the Holland beater. A conical plug fits into the shell of the Jordan, and said plug is provided with bars running lengthwise on its surface. The plug revolves inside the shell, and it may be moved axially forwardly and rearwardly, so that the distance between the bars in the plug and those in the shell can be varied. Pulp slurry is fed into the small end of the Jordan and discharged at the large end, being cut or brushed between the knives in the passage.

While both the Holland beater and Jordan engine are in generally Widespread use at present, each is possessed of certain inherent disadvantages. First, with respect to the Hollander, the arc of engagement between the cylindrical roll and the bed plate therebeneath is less than 90, and it is therefore required that multiple stock passes be made between the roll and bed plate before a satisfactory degree of refining is achieved. This naturally slows down the refining process, and the power requirements are rather substantial. Second, when the cylindrical roll is partially immersed in the stock, it is difiicult to control the stock feed to said roll. Third, since the Holland heater is operated at atmospheric pressure, its stock refining capacity is again not great.

As to the Jordan engine, when stock is fed to the small end the refiner functions as a pump and the stock is thrown to the large end. There is thus no assurance that the space between the bars is full and that the machine is being utilized to its full capacity. In addition, the periphen'al speeds of the conical plug at the small end and at the large end thereof differ greatly, and the relatively low surface speed at the small end induces relatively more rapid Wear thereat. This is apparently due to the hydrodynamic pressure developed between the rotor and stator bars being insufficient to Bib-2,76%

Patented Sept. 3, 1963 prevent metal to metal contact. By reason of an unequal wear rate at opposite ends of the conical plug, it is diificul-t, if not impossible, to maintain an accurate adjust ment and uniformity of stock refining is therefore hard to obtain.

It is accordingly an important aim of the present invention to provide a stock refiner eliminating the described disadvantages of the Hollander and Jordan engine, and additionally featuring a relatively simple construction of long life which is accurately controllable to refine stock to the desired freeness.

Another object of this invention lies in the provision of stock refining apparatus utilizing a housing having a stock inlet and outlet, a rotor in said housing mounting a plurality of bar members arranged generally a herringbone pattern thereon, a plurality of stator segments between said housing and rotor and provided with bar members oriented so that the plane thereof intersects the plane of the rotor bar members when viewed in elevation, and means for loading said stator segments to control the degree of refining.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for stock refining, which comprises a housing having stock inlet and outlet passages, a generally cylindrical rotor within said housing provided with a plurality of radially outwardly facing bar members arranged in herringbone pattern thereon, a plurality of stator segments between said housing and said rotor, said segments having radially inwardly facing bar members on one surface thereof disposed in an opposite herringbone pattern to said bar members on the rotor, and fluid pressure means between said housingand said stator segments to load said segments and thereby control the degree of refining.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent during the course or" the following description, particularly when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a stock refiner constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary detail sectional view of the housing, rotor and stator segments, and showing additionally fluid pressure means for loading the segments;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of the apparatus of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrative of the intersecting herringbone patterns of the rotor and stator segment bar members.

Objections and disadvantages of prior art devices are overcome by the instant apparatus, an exemplary form of which is illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 4 and designated therein generally by the numeral 40 The stock refiner 4d) may comprise a housing or outer shell 41 formed with a supporting base 42 and closed at opposite ends by cap means -43-43a through the expedient of bolt means or the like 44 The housing body portion is apertured adjacent one end to provide a lower inlet opening 45, and adjacent the opposite end said body portion is iapertured at 46, providing an upper stock outlet passage.

Supported within the housing body portion 41 upon shaft means 47- l7a is a generally cylindrical rotor or drum member 48, the shaft means 47 47a being journaled in bearing means 49 located between said shafts and collar portions 5050a on said cap members or head plates iii-45a. Suitable motor means or other force applying means (not shown) of course connect to the shaft means to drive the rotor 48 in rotation.

The circumference or outer surface of the cylindrical rotor 48 is provided with two sets of bars or knives 51 and 52 which are disposed at an angle to the rotor axis, or are non-axially arranged, to form a herringbone pattern on the rotor circumference. URES 1 and 4-, the bar members or knives 5i and 52 abut one another at opposite ends at generally a 90 angle, indicated at 53, although of course this particular angular relationship may be varied.

The knives or bar members 51 and 52 may be machined to provide non-axially arranged grooves or notches 54 therebetween (FIGURE 2), or the rotor circumference may be slotted and bars or knives fitted and suitably wedged into said slots. The bar members or knives 51 and 52 are of a durable steel, and wood fillers may be utilized as the wedge means, as has been the practice in the Holland heaters and Jordan engines.

To effect the refining action, there is provided a plurality of stationary and normally circumferentially spaced stator segments 55, which appear in FIGURE 2 as of arcuate shape positioned radially outwardly of the rotor 48. The stator segments 55 are restrained against substantial circumferential movement by provision of a notch or recess 56 at opposite ends and along the radially outwardly facing surface thereof. To coact with the notches 56 as stop or limiting means, the inner diameter of the housing body portion 41 has a plurality of axially extending and radially inwardly directed ribs 57.

Along the radially inwardly facing surface of each stator segment 55 there is provided two sets of bar members or knives 58 and 59, arranged in a herringbone pattern oppositely disposed to the herringbone pattern of the bar members 51 and 52 on the rotor 48. As is shown in FIGURE 4, the stator bar members 58 and 59 abut at their ends in generally a 90 angle, and said bar members are non-axially arrayed or disposed at an angle to the rotor axis. When the bar members 51 and 52 on the rotor 53 and the bar members 58 and 59 on the stator segments 55 are viewed in plan or elevation, as illustrated in FIGURE 4, the rotor bars 52 are perpendicular to the stator bars 59, and the rotor bars 51 are similarly disposed with reference to the stator bars 58. In other words, the planes of the bar members 52 and 5? intersect one another at right angles, and the planes of the bar members 51 and 58 similarly intersect at right angles, although it is be lieved now apparent that this specific angular relationship is not at all times required for effective refining action. The stator bar members and rotor bar members, however, must be sufficiently differently oriented to prevent a meshing of said bar members.

The bar members or knives 58 and 59 on the stator segments 55 may be formed by machining, or the stator segments may be slotted and knives fitted and wedged therein. In any event, between the stator bar members there are non-axially arranged grooves 60, the stator bar members 58 and 59 abut at 61, and in the manner of the rotor 48, the stator segments 55 are constructed of a long wearing steel.

A further novel feature of the instant invention is the manner of loading the stator segments 55 to control the degree of refining in a highly accurate fashion. Each stator segment 55 is for this purpose axially grooved at 62 and 63, while the inner diameter of the housing body portion 41 is axially grooved at 64 and 65 to provide a pair or axially extending and arcuate spaced channels 66 and 67. Positioned within each of said channels 66 and 67 is a loading means 68, which in the exemplary form of the invention illustrated, takes the form of an inflatable tube. The tubes 63 may be constructed of rubber or like materials and generally assume an elongated configuration. To inflate the tubes 68 a stem portion 68:: is provided thereon, and the stem portions As appears in FIG- for the various tubes 68 may connect to a common manifold to assure substantially equal air pressures in each tube. As is believed now quite clear, the tubes 68 may be supplied with either air or water, and while a pair of tubes 68 are illustrated as loading each stator segment 53, this number may be varied to suit particular purposes. And as well, the loading means may be provided by other devices.

As appears in FIGURE 3, at opposite ends of the stator segments 55' there may be located seal means 69, while seal means 7d may be employed at opposite ends of the rotor 48. It may be found in certain applications that fiber particles will become lodged or located bet-ween the radially outwardly facing wall of the segments and the inner diameter of the housing body portion 41. For this purpose, the housing head plate or cap means 43 may be passaged as at 71 to connect with a water supply line 72. having pump means '73 and valve 74- therein.

It may now be seen that applicants have provided a stock refiner overcoming the disadvantages of the Holland heater and Jordan engine. Multiple stock passes are not required as in the Hollander, the power requirements to operate the apparatus 40 of this invention are relatively low, the opposite ends of the rotor 40 rotate at essentially the same peripheral speeds, so that unequal wear cannot result in normal operation. The stator segments 55 can be accurately and rapidly loaded to any desired pressure to assure continuously controlled refining in accordance with the ultimate usage of the stock. There is no throwing of stock from the inlet 45 to the outlet 46, and as herein constructed the space between the rotor bar members and stator bar members is continuously full, and the refiner 4b is thereby operated at full capacity.

Ithas been noted in the preceding description that different orientations of the rotor bar members and stator bar members may be utilized, and that the loading means 68 can be provided by different structure than that shown. Accordingly,.it is believed quite apparent that these and other modifications may be effected without departing from the novel concepts of the instant invention.

We claim as our-invention:

1. Apparatus for stock refining comprising: a cylindrical housing having an inlet and an outlet passage, a generally cylindrical rotor within said housing, a plurality of circumferentially spaced raised bar members entirely around the circumference of said cylindrical rotor, said bar members an-gularly disposed to the rotor axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially floating stator arcuate segments having bar members provided entirely around the inner circumference of the housing, said stator bar members angularly disposed to the rotor axis facing radially inwardly and positioned between the housing and the rotor and oriented so that the planes thereof intersect the planes bf the rotor bar members, at least two axially extending inflatable tubes mounted on each stator segment with one tube at each edge of the stator segment between the stator segment and the inner walls of the housing applying circumferentially spaced radially inwardly directed forces to the stator segments so that the segments will tilt to a position of balance relative to the rotor, said inflatable tubes extending substantially the entire longitudinal axial length of the stator segments, and fluid pressure supply means supplying fluid to inflate the inflatable tubes to uniformly pressure load said stator segments radially to vary the spacing between the rotor and the stator bar members whereby the rotor bar members and the inwardly facing stator bar members coact to effectively refine pulp passing through said stock refiner.

2. Apparatus for stock refining comprising: a cylindrical housing having an inlet and an outlet passage, a generally cylindrical rotor within said housing, a plurality of circurnferentially spaced raised bar members entirely around the circumference of said cylindrical rotor, said bar members angularly disposed to the rotor axis, a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially floating stator arcuate segments having bar members provided entirely around the inner circumference of the housing, said stator bar members angularly disposed to the rotor axis facing radially inwardly and positioned between the housing and the rotor and oriented so that the planes thereof intersect the planes of the rotor ba-r members, at least two axially extending inflatable tuoes mounted on each stator segment with one tube at each edge of the stator segment between the stator segment and the inner walls of the housing applying circumferentially spaced radially inwardly directed forces to the stator segments so that the segments will tilt to a position of balance relative to the rotor, said inflatable tubes extending substantially the entire longitudinal axial length of the stator segments, axially extending radially inwardly faced circumferentially spaced channels in the housing each receiving one of said inflatable tubes therein to position said tubes, said stator segments being axially grooved at locations facing said channels with the tubes seated in said grooves, and fluid pressure supply means supplying fluid to inflate the inflatable tubes to uniformly pressure load said stator segments radially to vary the spacing between the rotor and the stator bar members whereby the rotor bar members and the inwardly facing stator bar members coact to effectively refine pulp passing through said stock refiner.

References Cited in the file of this patent Tisco Bulletin 360'-5M, Wharton Company,

UNITED STATES PATENTS Taylor Nov. 14, Martin Oct. 10, McAllister Aug. 20, Hussey Mar. 10, Sheldon Mar. 15, Milne Mar. 20, De Mers Aug. 18, Tolrnan July 20, Bond Mar. 14, Carruthers Mar. 2, Steinbarger May 21, I ones et a1 Aug. 4, Lejeune Jan. 5,

FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 19, France Dec. 29,

OTHER REFERENCES High Bridge, New Jersey.

published by the Taylor- 

1. APPARATUS FOR STOCK REFINING COMPRISING: A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET PASSAGE, A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL ROTOR WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RAISED BAR MEMBERS ENTIRELY AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID CYLINDRICAL ROTOR, SAID BAR MEMBERS ANGULARLY DISPOSED TO THE ROTOR AXIS, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RADIALLY FLOATING STATOR ARCUATE SEGMENTS HAVING BAR MEMBERS PROVIDED ENTIRELY AROUND THE INNER CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE HOUSING, SAID STATOR BAR MEMBERS ANGULARLY DISPOSED TO THE ROTOR AXIS FACING RADIALLY INWARDLY AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE HOUSING AND THE ROTOR AND ORIENTED SO THAT THE PLANES THEREOF INTERSECT THE PLANES OF THE ROTOR BAR MEMBERS, AT LEAST TWO AXIALLY EXTENDING INFLATABLE TUBES MOUNTED ON EACH STATOR SEGMENT WITH ONE TUBE AT EACH EDGE OF THE STATOR SEGMENT BETWEEN THE STATOR SEGMENT AND THE INNER WALLS OF THE HOUSING APPLYING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED FORCES TO THE STATOR SEGMENTS SO THAT THE SEGMENTS WILL TILT TO A POSITION OF BALANCE RELATIVE TO THE ROTOR, SAID INFLATABLE TUBES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LONGITUDINAL AXIAL LENGTH OF THE STATOR SEGMENTS, AND FLUID PRESSURE SUPPLY MEANS SUPPLYING FLUID TO INFLATE THE INFLATABLE TUBES TO UNIFORMLY PRESSURE LOAD SAID STATOR SEGMENTS RADIALLY TO VARY THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ROTOR AND THE STATOR BAR MEMBERS WHEREBY THE ROTOR BAR MEMBERS AND THE INWARDLY FACING STATOR BAR MEMBERS COACT TO EFFECTIVELY REFINE PULP PASSING THROUGH SAID STOCK REFINER. 